Spotlight: Protect Your Email Address

Heard about identity theft? There are many ways it can happen online. One element of your identity is your email address, and sometimes hackers will try to steal it to send out spam to disguise their real identity. It doesn't happen to everyone - but protecting your comcast.net email address and password is an excellent way to help reduce your chances of identity theft online.

How it happens

There are a variety of ways a hackers can steal your email address and password. One common technique is to infect your computer with a virus which can record what you type on a keyboard, thereby capturing your email address and password when you login to check your email. Another technique is to lure unsuspecting victims to a fraudulent phishing site which is designed to look like the Comcast site and asks for your email address and password.

Once a hacker or spammer knows your email address and password they can send spam from your email account or create additional email accounts, sometimes without your knowledge.

How will I know if my email address is being used by a spammer or hacker?

Here are some simple steps you can take to determine if your login is being used to send spam:

1. Log into to comcast.net account management with your primary email address. If you find that your password has changed without your knowledge, that may be one indicator that your email address is being used by a spammer or hacker. If you need help signing into comcast.net, click here.
2. Review your secondary email accounts every few weeks. If you or an authorized user do not recognize these accounts, that’s a strong indicator that a spammer or hacker has gained access to your account.
3. Sign in to comcast.net mailbox and review your inbox and sent folders for your primary and secondary accounts. Unrecognized sent messages or undelivered messages in the Inbox are warning signs of a compromise.

How to protect your Comcast.net email account:

If you think your personal information may have been compromised, the FTC recommends taking the following actions as soon as possible to minimize the potential damage from identity theft:

1. Be sure to use a Strong Password which contains a combination of letters and numbers and cannot be guessed easily.
2. Log into comcast.net account management regularly (see steps above) to check recent account activity.
3. Immediately delete any email accounts that you do not recognize.
4. Install internet security software and make sure it’s up to date – As a Comcast High-Speed Internet customer, you get the McAfee Security Suite, at no additional cost. Downloading this software is easy and quick! Click here to download.
5. Stay alert – Avoiding phishing scams is one important way to safeguard your comcast.net email account. Visit the Comcast security channel frequently for tips in our Get Smart section to stay one step ahead of the bad guys!